Remote-controlled luminous display panel system



July 27, 1965 J. GOUYOU-BEAUCHAMP ETAL 3, 9

REMOTE-CONTROLLED LUMINOUS DISPLAY PANEL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 29, 1960 4Sheets-Sheet 1 eparzure -Ancrdff N? Aim-mp mp 1Y5 l l I July 27, 1965 J.GOUYOU-BEAUCHAMP ETAL 3, 9

REMOTE-CONTROLLED LUMINOUS DISPLAY PANEL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 29. 1960 4,Sheets-Shee t 2 July 27, 1965 J. GO'UYOU-BEAUCHAMP ETAL 3,196,740

REMOTE-CONTROLLED LUMINQUS DISPLAY PANEL SYSTEM Filed Nbv. 29. 1960 4Sheets-Sheet z July 27, 1965 J. GOUYOU-BEAUCHAMP EI'AL 3,

REMOTE-CONTROLLED LUMINOUS DISPLAY PANEL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 29. 1960 4Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,196,740 REMOTE-GNTROLLED LUMINOUSDISPLAY PANEL SYSTEM lacques Gouyou-Beauchamp, Ville dAvray, and FrancisErugere, Gentilly, France, assignors to Societe Anonyme so-called:Saunier Duval, Paris, France Filed Nov. 29, 1969, Ser. No. 72,333 Claimspriority, application France, Dec. 1, 1%9, 811,775, Patent 1,252,070 7Claims. (Cl. Bil-28) It is frequently necessary in many fields tocompose a text at one control place and to have it read at other placesby a large number of persons. Thus, typical applications of thistechnique are the displaying of departure times in railway stations andairports, the transmission of processing orders in large works (forexample in rolling mills and the like), etc. Different types of luminousremote-controlled display panels are already known, such as those usedfor luminous clocks of the type displaying numerals, or the devices usedfor calling persons separately to reception counters.

An inconvenience common to all these devices is that they require anextremely complicated electrical control circuitry when it iscontemplated to compose from a distance texts comprising a great numberof characters.

On the other hand, the display panel itself must consist of unitaryelements of which the number becomes extremely high (at the rate of oneelement per character to be displayed). These two inconveniences resultin a very complicated control board or desk, whether each character iscontrolled separately or by using intermediate electronic coders ordecoders.

It is the essential object of this invention to provide a method ofdisplaying luminous texts from a distance which consists broadly inutilizing cards carrying the inscriptions to be projected, andtransferring these cards pneumatically to projectors associated withdisplay panels.

These cards may be discharged or transferred from one panel to another,or from one compartment of a panel or board to another compartment inthe same panel or board, if the text or signs is or are to be displayedsuccessively at several locations.

The starting and the directional switching of each display card to beprojected from the control desk may be controlled by introducing apilot-card into a suitable cardcarrier, the projected display card beingdeleted by removing this pilot card.

The transfer of the display card to the successive compartments of adisplay panel may be controlled by causing the pilot card to slip insynchronism into the successive compartments of a synoptic board.

The apparatus for carrying out the method of this invention comprisesessentially a synoptic control board or desk, pneumatic pipe linesconnecting this desk to the display panels, a lantern-slide carriercomprising means for automatically positioning the card to be projectedonto the screen, and electrical means for controlling on the one handthe valves delivering compressed air to the tubes of the network and onthe other hand the switches and other devices for placing the cards intheir transfer or discharge positions in the slide carriers, otherelectrlcal means being provided for switching the projection lamps onand oil.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of this invention and of themanner in which the same may be carried out in practice, reference willnow be made to a typical form of embodiment of a remote-controlledluminous display panel constructed according to the teachings of thisinvention and shown in theaccompanying FIGURE 3 is a diagram of thepneumatic tube network.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are an elevational view and a sec tional viewrespectively of a lantern-slide carrier; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective fragmentary view showing a typicalinstallation constructed according to this invention.

The text to be projected, which consists of letters, numerals or signs,is punched or printed in a transparent or opaque card of any suitablematerial, the size of the card being consistent with the innerdimensions of the conveyor tubes.

This card 37 is folded at its front end (in the direction of movement ofthe card in the pneumatic lines) to provide a flap or lug 38 of awell-defined length according to the method already known per 'se forconveying messages in flat-sectioned tubes or pipe lines 2.

The arrangement further comprises a control desk (see FIG. 2), a networkpneumatic conveyor tubes (see FIG. 3) and display panels for example ofthe type illustrated in FIG. 6.

The method of operation of the apparatus will now be described withreference more particularly to FIG. 6.

Each display card carrying the desired text is introduced into apressure-operated dispatcher 1 connected to a fiat-sectioned tube 2 ofknown type. The delivery of cards is controlled at the desired momentsby actuating the conventional means controlling a solenoid-operatedvalve 3 supplying compressed air to the line; a blower 4 feedscompressed air from the rear of the card 37 and as this air impingesagainst the flap 33 it drives the card 37 along the tube 2. This tube 2may comprise switching means 5 to permit the delivery of cards to eitherof a pair of projectors 6 and 7. This card 37 is stopped and positionedin a lantern-slide carrier 3 by a device to be described presently.

Mounted behind the carrier 8 is a projection assembly 9 comprising alamp 54, a reflector 55 and a condenser 56. The lantern-slide carrier isprovided with a pair of transparent windows 10,. 11 formed in the tubewalls; the light rays are focused by an optical system 12 and projectedonto a display screen 13 of adequate dimensions.

FIGURE 2 illustrates by way of example a control desk. In its centralportion this desk comprises an operators board comprising a conventionaltypewriter keyboard 14 adapted to either perforate the cards accordingto the known method used in the manufacture of printing plates foraddressing machines, or print characters directly on the cards if theyare transparent.

On either side of this operators board are two desk portionscorresponding the one (15) to a display panel 16 (FIG. 3) divided intocompartments in which the inscriptions are stationary, that is, deletedafter the projection without being re-displaced in the next compartment,and the other (17) to a board 18 wherein the inscriptions are movable,that is, always introduced into the first compartment of the board andthen transferred successively to the other compartments of the board soas to successively occupy all the compartments up to the last one, asone of the signals existing in one of these compartments is deleted, sothat the inscriptions remain constantly arranged in the same order asthat in which they were introduced.

In the case of a board comprising stationary inscriptions 15 theoperation is as follows:

, A display card 37 (shown lying on the desk in the figure) isintroduced into the slot 19 of a pressure-operated transmitter of knowntype. Simultaneously with the card to be transmitted to the displaypanels, a perforated pilot card 57 is placed in any one of the cardcarriers 2% (provided that it is empty).

When a card is introduced into one of the card carriers 20, a contact 21mounted therein is actuated and controls the corresponding switch 22 inthe tube network. An auxiliary contact of this switch 23 opens an aircontrol solenoid valve 3 in the pneumatic transmitter and thus thedisplay card is driven along the tube. When this card has attained thedesired display panel, a limit switch 24 is actuated and restores thetube switch to its inoperative position, the air control solenoid valve3 is re-closed and the lamp of the projection lantern energized. Thenanother card may be delivered to another compartment (see FIG. 3).

When it is desired to delete the sign or text thus transmitted, thecorresponding pilot card is removed from the card carrier 20, and as theelectric contact 21 is released it controls the display card ejection(as will be described presently in connection with the description ofthe lanternslide carrier).

Two pilot lamps, a green lamp 25 and a red lamp 26 are disposed in frontof each card carrier 20 so that the operator may easily check, accordingto the color of the lighted lamp, whether the relevant compartmentcontains a card or not. Thus, it is possible to see at any time theinscription or signal projected in each compartment of the generalcontrol desk.

The movable inscription board operates as follows:

The pilot card 57 similar to the one already mentioned hereinabove canonly be introduced into the first compartment 27 through the slot 28. Amechanical conveyor 29 is provided for transferring the pilot card fromone compartment to the next compartment when the latter is free.

When the operator wants to display an inscription in a free compartment(which is always the first compartment of the control board) he or sheintroduces the display card 37 into the slot 30 of the transmitter andthe pilot card 57 into the slot 28. As the pilot card reaches itsposition in the first card carrier 27 it actuates a contact or limitswitch 31 controlling the starting of the display card toward itsdisplay position.

Thus, a synoptic table representing the exact pattern of the generalboard is obtained.

FIG. 3 shows the general diagram of the pneumatic pipe-line networkincorporating a blower 4 delivering compressed air to a manifold 32, apair of solenoid valves 3 controlling the distribution of compressed airto the two lines of flat tubes, the two transmitters 19 and 30 and thetwo tubular circuits 2 leading the one to a fixed panel 16 and the otherto a movable panel 18.

The panel 16 for stationary display comprises tube switches 22 andlantern-slide carriers 33. The movable panel 18 comprises an auxiliaryblower 34 delivering air under pressure to a manifold 35. Eachcompartment of the board comprises a non-return valve 40, a lanternslidecarrier 41, an ejector switch 42, an inlet solenoid valve 43 and anoutlet solenoid valve 44.

' To deliver the card to the first compartment, the operator closes theinlet valve 43 and opens the outlet valve 44, and thus the card ispositioned automatically in the first lantern-slide carrier. To transferthe card from one compartment to the next compartment the inlet valve ofthe first compartment is opened and the inlet valve of the adjacentcompartment is closed. Thus, a draught is created between the inletvalve of the first compartment and the outlet valve of the secondcompartment, this being suflicient for transferring the card from onecompartment to the other. Under these conditions it is a simple matterto modify the complete board by displacing each card from onecompartment to another. Moreover, a card located in anyone of thesecompartments may be ejected into a basket; to this end, the inlet valveof the compartment is opened, the outlet valve closed and the switch 42positioned to deflect the path of the card; these different operationsare obtained by simply removing the corresponding pilot card 57 from itscompartment in the synoptic board. The fact of freeing a compartment byejecting a card therefrom entrains automatically the movement of thecards from the preceding compartments.

A typical form of embodiment of a lantern-slide carrier will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings. In thisdevice the standard tube 2 is formed with registering apertures in itstwo larger sides, that is, a larger aperture 46 on one side, which iscovered and sealed by a transparent plate 10 of glass or plastic, and agrid-like aperture 49 on the other side. Welded on the tube in front ofthis grid-like aperture 49 is a boxshaped body 50 formed with a frontaperture 52 registering with the grid 49, this aperture 52 being coveredand sealed by a transparent plate 11 of glass or plastic grid 49.

Following these apertures 46, 49 (in the direction of travel of thecards) is a comb-like device consisting of a plurality of parallel metalhooks 56 rigidly assembled by means of a bracing member 67 and pivotallymounted on a vertical hinge pin 58, these hooks being adapted to eitherstop the movement of the cards in the tubes or retract completelytherefrom under the control of an electromagnet 59.

The box it) communicates through a duct 60 with the tube section locatedafter the card-stopping comb 56 (in the direction of travel of thecards), this duct so being controlled by a solenoid-operated valve 61.

This assembly operates as follows: when the card is to be stopped forprojection purposes in the lantern-slide carrier, the comb 56 is left inits card-stopping position, that is, with its control electromagnetde-energized, and the card driven by the draught is pressed against thecomb teeth so that the flap 38 acts as a shutter closing almostcompletely the inner tube path and thus creates a loss ofpressurebetween the tube sections located before and after the comb 56,respectively.

As the solenoid-operated valve 61 is open, the box is at the samepressure as the tube section following the comb 56; therefore, apressure differential is established on either side of the card flap 38which will press the card against the comb 56 so as to accuratelyposition the card in relation to the condenser and other opticalcomponents of the projection system 9.

When it is desired to remove or delete the signal or text carried bythis card, the operator controls through any suit-able means the valve61 while energizing the electromagnet 59 to retract the hooks of thestopping comb from the inner path of the tube 2. As the valve 61 isclosed, the chamber in box 50 will be at the same pressure as the tubesection preceding it, due to the leakage produced through the hole 62.

As the card is no more pressed against the comb hooks 56 it will beeasily released by the air draught. According to cases, it may be eitherevacuated into a suitable container or transferred to anothercompartment if it is to be displayed again.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with apreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, as those skilled in the art .will readilyunderstand. Such modifications and variations are considered to bewithin the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An installation for the remote-controlled luminous display on displaypanels of inscriptions carried by cards, which comprises a centralcontrol station incorporating a synoptic control board, flat-sectionedpneumatic tubes forming a circuit connecting said control board withsaid display panels, valves controlling a supply of compressed air tosaidtubes, diverting switching means in said circuit 9 for divertingcards to selected display panels, each display panel comprising ascreen, a lantern-slide carrier incorporating means for automaticallypositioning and ejecting the card to be projected onto said screen, aprojector associated with said lantern-slide carrier and having aprojection lamp, and electrical means for operating said valves, saiddiverting switching means and the means for positioning and ejecting thecards in and from said lantern-slide carrier, and also for switching onor ofi the projection lamp of said projector.

2. An installation as set forth in claim 1, in which said lantern-slidecarrier comprises one section of said fiatsectioned pneumatic tubecircuit apertured on its two major sides to provide on one side anopening corresponding in size to said cards and closed by a firsttransparent wall and to provide on the other side an opening of likesize in which a grid is positioned and which open into a 'box havinganother transparent wall opposite said first transparent wall, a stopmovable into and out from said lantern-slide carrier for stopping themovement of a card in said tube section and subsequently releasing saidcard under remote-control electrical means.

3. An installation as set forth in claim 2, wherein said boxcommunicates through the medium of an electromagnetic valve with thedownstream portion of said pneumatic tube so as to produce in said box areduced pressure by which the card is urged against the aforesaid gridof the lantern-slide carrier.

4. An installation for remote-controlled luminous display of indicia ondisplay panels, comprising a central station, a plurality of remotedisplay stations, an optical projector at each of said display stations,fiat-sectioned pneumatic tubes arranged in a circuit connecting saidcentral station with each of said display stations, a plurality ofdisplay card-s each carrying indicia to be displayed and of a size andshape to pass through said tubes, means for inserting one of saiddisplay cards in said pneumatic tube circuit at said central station,means for applying an air pressure differential to transport said cardthrough said for directing said card to a selected one of said displaystations, means located at each of said display stations and controlledfrom said central station for positioning said card in accurate positionfor display by said projector, and means located at each of said displaystations and controlled from said central station for release of adisplay card for return to said central station.

5. An installation according to claim 4, further comprising a pluralityof pilot cards each corresponding to a display card and a plurality ofreceptacles for said pilot cards at said central station eachcorresponding to a display station and in which said control meanscomprises card sensing means at each of said receptacles for sensingpilot cards placed in said receptacles to control the routing,positioning and subsequent release of the corresponding display cards.

6. An installation according to claim 4, in which said card positioningmeans at each display station comprises an apertured wall in said tubeat said display station and means for applying a differential airpressure for pressing said display card against said apertured wall.

7. An installation according to claim 6, further comprising means forrelieving said differential air pressure pressing said card against saidwall when said card is released for return to said central station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,932 1/93 Clay243-5 575,883 1/97 Fordyce 2435 1,325,825 12/19 Bailey 88-28 1,399,20812/21 Grabhorn 8817 1,901,508 3/33 Gutberlet 3022 2,311,795 2/43 Weigele3022 2,593,007 4/52 Cadwell et al. 8828 2,653,512 9/53 Brock 88-282,792,997 5/57 Afielder 24334 2,890,619 6/59 Waller 8816.6

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

EMIL G. ANDERSON, GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER,

Examiners.

1. AN INSTALLATION FOR THE REMOTE-CONTROLLED LUMINOUS DISPLAY ON DISPLAYPANELS OF INSCRIPTIONS CARRIED BY CARDS, WHICH COMPRISES A CENTRALCONTROL STATION INCORPORATING A SYNOPTIC CONTROL BOARD, FLAT-SECTIONEDPNEUMATIC TUBES FORMING A CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID CONTROL BOARD WITHSAID DISPLAY PANELS, VALVES CONTROLLING A SUPPLY OF COMPRESSED AIR TOSAID TUBES, DIVERTING SWITCHING MEANS IN SAID CIRCUIT FOR DIVERTINGCARDS TO SELECTED DISPLAY PANELS, EACH DISPLAY PANEL COMPRISING ASCREEN, A LANTERN-SLIDE CARRIER INCORPORATING MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLYPOSITIONING AND EJECTING THE CARD TO BE PROJECTED ONTO SAID SCREEN, APROJECTOR ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LANTERN-SLIDE CARRIER AND HAVING APROJECTION LAMP, AND ELECTRICAL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID VALVES, SAIDDIVERTING SWITCHING MEANS AND THE MEANS FOR POSITIONING AND EJECTING THECARDS IN AND FROM SAID LANTERN-SLIDE CARRIER, AND ALSO FOR SWITCHING ONOR OFF THE PROJECTIONAL LAMP OF SAID PROJECTOR.